President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has appointed Irena Andrassy as Croatia's new Permanent Representative to the European Union, Hina learned from the President's Office on Thursday.

Andrassy previously served as a legal adviser to Croatia’s chief negotiator for accession to the European Union and then as deputy chief of staff in the Office of the European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica.

Last year she was appointed chief adviser at the Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, and also held several diplomatic roles.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic recently said that she was “one of Croatia’s most experienced diplomats.”

Andrassy will replace Mato Skrabalo in Brussels just months prior to Croatia taking over the presidency of the European Union on January 1. The decision will go into effect on August 1.